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Buying Your First Skateboard
So you've decided to start skateboarding. Good for you. You've
probably seen some cool skate videos, played a bit of Tony Hawks
pro skater or just hung around with other skaters at your local
skate spot, and decided it's time you got in on the action
yourself. By it's very nature, skateboarding is a very creative
and individual sport, and you can take it in a lot of different
directions, but there is one thing you will need and that's a
skateboard.
I'm going to run through the major things you need to consider
when buying a skateboard so you can make a better decision about
what you buy and where you buy it from. This information is
aimed at people interested in street skating and flatl
and tricks. I am not familiar with the requirements for vert
skating.
1. Cost One thing you should know straight off is that
skateboards can be extremely expensive. Straight off the bat you
can pay triple figures for a pro deck and that doesn't even
include wheels, trucks and bearings (all of which also come at a
premium if you want quality gear).
You should try and blank your mind to all that great stuff. To
begin with, you need something basic and functional. Something
fairly disposable is ideal so if you decide skating isn't for
you or you end up ruining the skateboard in the process of
learning (which you probably will) you haven't paid the earth
for no reason.
Aim to pay around £40 for a complete brand new beginner setup -
any more and you're paying for something you don't need, much
less and you are buying junk.
2. Deck By far the best kind of deck to go for is a
'blank' - a deck with no graphics. The graphics and the branding
are what make pro decks so expensive, and if you do any decent
amount of skateboarding on it they will scratch off pretty
quickly. You will usually get these with grip tape already on,
or you can get any skate shop to do it. It's not even very
difficult to do yourself.
Try and get a 7-ply deck - this means it's laminated with 7
layers of wood. 9-ply decks are heavier and more unwieldy, and a
good sign that they are
cheaply made. Try and also pay attention
to the shape of the deck. If it's quite flat and straight it's
no good - you need a decent amount of curve to the kicktails.
3. Trucks The trucks on the first deck I bought snapped
the first time I tried to ollie. Watch out for this - buy from a
proper skateboard dealer (whether online or in a shop), not a
high street sports shop/department store! If you look at the
trucks on skateboards in these kinds of shop you can tell that
the metal is of bad quality because it seems overly shiny and
light. As tempting as the prices may be, walk away.
4. Bearings & Wheels Bearings are what keep your wheels
spinning when you stop pushing - they determine how fast your
skateboard is. Bearing speed is measured by the ABEC value. The
slowest bearings are 'AA' bearings, skateboards from high street
shops come with these and they are BAD! With AA bearings, you
will probably not be able to roll down a hill let alone on the
flat. From there, you've got various bearing ratings including
ABEC 3, 5, 7 and 9.
Go for ABEC 3 or ABEC 5 bearings at the absolute maximum.
Though you want to be able to roll quite freely, getting
bearings that are too fast is a bad idea for beginners. It makes
riding more intimidating and landing tricks much more difficult
as the skateboard is more likely to slip from under your feet.
For beginners, wheels are less of a consideration. Fairly
standard wheels of 55mm will suffice until you decide which
direction to take your skating. The wheels that come with a
basic complete set are fine.
Summary To summarise your ideal first skateboard will be
a complete consisting of a blank 7 ply deck, strong trucks,
basic wheels and ABEC 3 or 5 bearings. But before you go out and
buy brand new, ask around among skaters you already know -
often, a second hand deck from an experienced skater will be
even better, as it will have been comfortably worn in and there
is a fair chance you can pick up a bargain.
About the author:
Adam is the author of Board Crazy, providing all your skateboarding news.
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